Faerie Queene: Midterm

Front 1

Lo I the man,° whose Muse whilome did maske,
As time her taught, in lowly Shepheards weeds,
Am now enforst a far unfitter taske,
For trumpets sterne to chaunge mine Oaten reeds,
And sing of Knights and Ladies° gentle deeds;
Whose prayses having slept in silence long,
Me, all too meane, the sacred Muse areeds
To blazon broade emongst her learned throng:
Fierce warres and faithfull loves shall moralize my song.

2
Helpe then, O holy Virgin chiefe of nine,°
Thy weaker Novice to performe thy will;
Lay forth out of thine everlasting scryne
The antique rolles, which there lye hidden still,
Of Faerie knights° and fairest Tanaquill,°
Whom that most noble Briton Prince° so long
Sought through the world, and suffered so much ill,
That I must rue his undeserved wrong:
O helpe thou my weake wit, and sharpen my dull tong.

3
And thou most dreaded impe of highest Jove,°
Faire Venus sonne, that with thy cruell dart
At that good knight so cunningly didst rove,
That glorious fire it kindled in his hart,
Lay now thy deadly Heben bow apart,
And with thy mother milde come to mine ayde;
Come both, and with you bring triumphant Mart,°
In loves and gentle jollities arrayd,
After his murdrous spoiles and bloudy rage allayd.

4
And with them eke, O Goddesse heavenly bright,°
Mirrour of grace and Majestie divine,
Great Lady of the greatest Isle, whose light
Like Phoebus lampe° throughout the world doth shine,
Shed thy faire beames into my feeble eyne,
And raise my thoughts, too humble and too vile,
To thinke of that true glorious type of thine,°
The argument of mine afflicted stile:°
The which to heare, vouchsafe, O dearest dred,° a-while.

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FAERIE QUEENE
Book 1: i (the beginning)

-The Redcrosse Knight, Una, and a dwarf are riding along a plain till rain forces them into a wood
-they become somewhat lost and happen upon Errour whom the Redcrosse Knight defeats after a struggle.

-They find their way out of the forest and then happen upon an aged sire who is really Archimago (Anti-Christ or the Pope).

-He tricks them back to his home where he causes the Redcrosse knight to have a lustful dream about Una
-he then creates a false Una who comes to the Redcrosse Knight's bed, tries to seduce him without success, and angers him.

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1
A GENTLE Knight° was pricking on the plaine,
Ycladd in mightie armes and silver shielde,
Wherein old dints of deepe wounds did remaine,
The cruel markes of many'a bloudy fielde;
Yet armes till that time did he never wield:
His angry steede did chide his foming bitt,
As much disdayning to the curbe to yield:
Full jolly knight he seemd, and faire did sitt,
As one for knightly giusts and fierce encounters fitt.

2
And on his brest a bloudie Crosse he bore,
The deare remembrance of his dying Lord,
For whose sweete sake that glorious badge he wore,
And dead as living ever him ador'd:
Upon his shield the like was also scor'd,
For soveraine hope,° which in his helpe he had:
Right faithfull true he was in deede and word,
But of his cheere did seeme too solemne sad;
Yet nothing did he dread, but ever was ydrad.

3
Upon a great adventure he was bond,
That greatest Gloriana° to him gave,
That greatest Glorious Queene of Faerie lond,
To winne him worship, and her grace to have,
Which of all earthly things he most did crave;
And ever as he rode, his hart did earne
To prove his puissance in battell brave
Upon his foe, and his new force to learne;
Upon his foe, a Dragon° horrible and stearne.

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FAERIE QUEENE
Book 1: Canto 1: Stanzas 1-3: introduction of Redcrosse, untried knight in battle-worn armour, cross; quest explained: to serve Gloriana and defeat the Dragon.
-Knight going to slay a beast: Romance image,Arthurian?

-The armour:
“The cruell markes of many a bloudy fielde;
Yet armes till that time did he neuer yield...” [1]

-Armour=bodyàpre-dented by Original Sin, though the knight (soul) has not sinned.

-Controlling the “angry steede”: like controlling furor, reigning the animalistic impulses.

-The “bloudie Crosse”: makes religious aspect immediately clear: this is not a purely classical world, Jesus exists here.

-He has been given a task by Gloriana, "that greatest Glorious Queen of Faerie lond," to fight a terrible dragon (I.i.3)

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4
A lovely Ladie° rode him faire beside,
Upon a lowly Asse more white then snow,
Yet she much whiter, but the same did hide
Under a vele, that wimpled was full low,
And over all a blacke stole she did throw,
As one that inly mournd: so was she sad,
And heavie sat upon her palfrey slow;
Seemed in heart some hidden care she had,
And by her in a line a milke white lambe she lad.

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FAERIE QUEENE
Book 1: Canto 1: Stanza 4: introduction of Una

Image suddenly slowed down by speed of “the lowly Asse” bearing Una, and again slowed by the “milke white lamb”
[4] – allegorical: religion sets the pace. The quest has become a pageant.

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5
So pure and innocent, as that same lambe,
She was in life and every vertuous lore,
And by descent from Royall lynage came
Of ancient Kings and Queenes, that had of yore
Their scepters stretcht from East to Westerne shore,
And all the world in their subjection held;
Till that infernall feend with foule uprore
Forwasted all their land, and them expeld:
Whom to avenge, she had this Knight from far compeld.

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FAERIE QUEENE
Book 1: Canto 1: Stanza 5: Introduction of Una

Suggestions of “hidden care” of Una: purity (of the Protestant Church) under threat, needs the force of Redcrosse to restore order.

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6
Behind her farre away a Dwarfe° did lag,
That lasie seemd in being ever last,
Or wearied with bearing of her bag
Of needments at his backe. Thus as they past,
The day with cloudes was suddeine overcast,
And angry Jove an hideous storme of raine
Did poure into his Lemans lap so fast,
That everie wight to shrowd it did constrain,
And this faire couple eke to shroud themselves were fain.

7
Enforst to seeke some covert nigh at hand,
A shadie grove° not far away they spide,
That promist ayde the tempest to withstand:
Whose loftie trees yclad with sommers pride
Did spred so broad, that heavens light did hide,
Not perceable with power of any starre:
And all within were pathes and alleies wide,
With footing worne, and leading inward farre:
Faire harbour that them seemes; so in they entred arre.

8
And foorth they passe, with pleasure forward led,
Joying to heare the birdes sweete harmony,
Which therein shrouded from the tempest dred,
Seemd in their song to scorne the cruell sky.
Much can they prayse the trees so straight and hy,
The sayling Pine,° the Cedar proud and tall,
The vine-prop Elme, the Poplar never dry,°
The builder Oake,° sole king of forrests all,
The Aspine good for staves, the Cypresse funerall.°

9
The Laurell,° meed of mightie Conquerours
And Poets sage, the firre that weepeth still,°
The Willow° worne of forlorne Paramours,
The Eugh° obedient to the benders will,
The Birch for shaftes, the Sallow for the mill,
The Mirrhe° sweete bleeding in the bitter wound,
The warlike Beech,° the Ash for nothing ill,°
The fruitfull Olive, and the Platane round,
The carver Holme,° the Maple seeldom inward sound.

10
Led with delight, they thus beguile the way,
Untill the blustring storme is overblowne;
When weening to returne, whence they did stray,
They cannot finde that path, which first was showne,
But wander too and fro in wayes unknowne,
Furthest from end then, when they neerest weene,
That makes them doubt their wits be not their owne:
So many pathes, so many turnings seene,
That which of them to take, in diverse doubt they been.

11
At last resolving forward still to fare,
Till that some end they finde or in or out,
That path they take, that beaten seemd most bare,
And like to lead the labyrinth about;
Which when by tract they hunted had throughout,
At length it brought them to a hollow cave
Amid the thickest woods. The Champion stout
Eftsoones dismounted from his courser brave,
And to the Dwarfe awhile his needlesse spere he gave.

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FAERIE QUEENE
Book 1: Canto 1: Stanzas 6-11 the dwarf introduced, the storm begins, they seek shelter in a wood, and come to a crossroads.

Dwarfe unclear: no personality clear. Slowing again, “lag”, to create the pageant procession.

The storm attributed to Jove: classical idea of weather.

-The crossroads: as a moral decision, after the pleasure of the journey through the wood.

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12
Be well aware, quoth then that Ladie milde,
Least suddaine mischiefe ye too rash provoke:
The danger hid, the place unknowne and wilde,
Breedes dreadfull doubts: Oft fire is without smoke,
And perill without show: therefore your stroke,
Sir Knight, with-hold, till further triall made.
Ah Ladie, (said he) shame were to revoke°
The forward footing for an hidden shade:
Vertue gives her selfe light, through darkenesse for to wade.

13
Yea but (quoth she) the perill of this place
I better wot then you, though now too late
To wish you backe returne with foule disgrace,
Yet wisedome warnes, whilest foot is in the gate,
To stay the steppe, ere forced to retrate.
This is the wandring wood,° this Errours den,
A monster vile, whom God and man does hate:
Therefore I read beware. Fly fly (quoth then
The fearefull Dwarfe) this is no place for living men.

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FAERIE QUEENE
Book 1: Canto 1: Stanzas 12-13: Una and the Dwarf advise Redcrosse not to go any further

When the skies clear, they find that they are lost, and they end up near a cave, which the lady recognizes as the den of Errour

Una: understanding of deception (“oft fire is without smoke” [12]); her cautiousness is wisdom, not cowardice.

Revealing Redcrosse to be untested: he does not know to take her advice.

Una as the true church: the Christian straying toward error (Catholicism!)

The dwarf: reason or common sense.

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14
But full of fire and greedy hardiment,
The youthfull knight could not for ought be staide,
But forth unto the darksome hole he went,
And looked in: his glistring armor made
A litle glooming light, much like a shade,
By which he saw the ugly monster° plaine,
Halfe like a serpent horribly displaide,
But th'other halfe did womans shape retaine,
Most lothsom, filthie, foule, and full of vile disdaine.°

15
And as she lay upon the durtie ground,
Her huge long taile her den all overspred,
Yet was in knots and many boughtes upwound,
Pointed with mortall sting. Of her there bred°
A thousand yong ones, which she dayly fed,
Sucking upon her poisnous dugs, eachone
Of sundry shapes, yet all ill favored:
Soone as that uncouth light upon them shone,
Into her mouth they crept, and suddain all were gone.

16
Their dam upstart, out of her den effraide,
And rushed forth, hurling her hideous taile
About her cursed head, whose folds displaid
Were stretcht now forth at length without entraile.
She lookt about, and seeing one in mayle
Armed to point,° sought backe to turne againe;
For light she hated as the deadly bale,
Ay wont in desert darknesse to remaine,
Where plain none might her see, nor she see any plaine.

17
Which when the valiant Elfe° perceiv'd, he lept
As Lyon fierce upon the flying pray,
And with his trenchand blade her boldly kept
From turning backe, and forced her to stay:
Therewith enrag'd she loudly gan to bray,
And turning fierce, her speckled taile advaunst,
Threatning her angry sting, him to dismay:
Who nought aghast his mightie hand enhaunst:
The stroke down from her head unto her shoulder glaunst.

18
Much daunted with that dint, her sence was dazd,
Yet kindling rage, her selfe she gathered round,
And all attonce her beastly body raizd
With doubled forces high above the ground:
Tho wrapping up her wrethed sterne arownd,
Lept fierce upon his shield, and her huge traine
All suddenly about his body wound,
That hand or foot to stirre he strove in vaine:
God helpe the man so wrapt in Errours endlesse traine.

19
His Lady sad to see his sore constraint,
Cride out, Now now Sir knight, shew what ye bee,
Add faith unto your force, and be not faint:
Strangle her, else she sure will strangle thee.
That when he heard, in great perplexitie,
His gall did grate for griefe° and high disdaine,
And knitting all his force got one hand free,
Wherewith he grypt her gorge with so great paine,
That soone to loose her wicked bands did her constraine.

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FAERIE QUEENE
Book 1: Canto 1: Stanzas 14-19
The knight doesn’t heed the advice, and battles Errour; at first Error gets the upper hand, but with Una’s encouragement, RC prevails.

Erroure:
-Half woman, half serpent, tail knotted, poisonous, 1000 young ones living off the poison; they live in her mouth.

Half woman: the appearance of goodness (Una a woman) but only half of it; a corruption – Catholicism a corruption of the Bible.

Serpent: Satan in Genesis!

Tail: circles – wandering.
-A thousand young ones in her mouth: words to speak – erroneous talk breeds error?
-Living off poison: reversal of mortality. Satanic.

*Una:
-Assistance of the true church: its doctrine and discipline can defeat error, and put man on the right path.

-“Add faith unto your force, and be not faint” (alliteration emphasises, slogan!)—faith requires force and vice-versa?

*[19] Una ("truth") reminds Redcrosse that strength alone will not avail him against the monster Errour. His holiness cannot come from within, but instead must be given him by the God in whom he has faith. Allegorically, theological error takes the knight's holiness by surprise, but he is reminded by the truth to keep his faith strong and he will overcome.

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20
Therewith she spewd out of her filthy maw
A floud of poyson horrible and blacke,
Full of great lumpes of flesh and gobbets raw,
Which stunck so vildly, that it forst him slacke
His grasping hold, and from her turne him backe:
Her vomit full of bookes° and papers was,
With loathly frogs and toades, which eyes did lacke,
And creeping sought way in the weedy gras:
Her filthy parbreake all the place defiled has.

21
As when old father Nilus° gins to swell
With timely pride above the Aegyptian vale,
His fattie waves do fertile slime outwell,
And overflow each plaine and lowly dale:
But when his later spring gins to avale,
Huge heapes of mudd he leaves, wherein there breed
Ten thousand kindes of creatures, partly male
And partly female of his fruitful seed;
Such ugly monstrous shapes elswhere may no man reed.
22
The same so sore annoyed has the knight,
That welnigh choked with the deadly stinke,
His forces faile, ne can no lenger fight.
Whose corage when the feend perceiv'd to shrinke,
She poured forth out of her hellish sinke
Her fruitfull cursed spawne of serpents small,
Deformed monsters, fowle, and blacke as inke,
With swarming all about his legs did crall,
And him encombred sore, but could not hurt at all.

23
As gentle Shepheard° in sweete even-tide,
When ruddy Phoebus gins to welke in west,
High on an hill, his flocke to vewen wide,
Markes which do byte their hasty supper best,
A cloud of combrous gnattes do him molest,
All striving to infixe their feeble stings,
That from their noyance he no where can rest,
But with his clownish hands their tender wings
He brusheth oft, and oft doth mar their murmurings.

24
Thus ill bestedd,° and fearefull more of shame,
Then of the certeine perill he stood in,
Halfe furious unto his foe he came,
Resolv'd in minde all suddenly to win,
Or soone to lose, before he once would lin
And strooke at her with more then manly force,
That from her body full of filthie sin
He raft her hatefull head without remorse;
A streame of cole black bloud forth gushed from her corse.

25
Her scattred brood,° soone as their Parent deare
They saw so rudely falling to the ground,
Groning full deadly, all with troublous feare,
Gathred themselves about her body round,
Weening their wonted entrance to have found
At her wide mouth: but being there withstood
They flocked all about her bleeding wound,
And sucked up their dying mothers blood,
Making her death their life, and eke her hurt their good.

26
That detestable sight him much amazde,
To see th' unkindly Impes, of heaven accurst,
Devoure their dam; on whom while so he gazd,
Having all satisfide their bloudy thurst,
Their bellies swolne he saw with fulnesse burst,
And bowels gushing forth: well worthy end
Of such as drunke her life, the which them nurst;°
Now needeth him no lenger labour spend,
His foes have slaine themselves, with whom he should contend

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FAERIE QUEENE
Book 1: Canto 1: Stanzas 20-26
Death and death-throes of Errour

*[20] Spenser demonstrates his political and theological bias by having the monster Errour spew forth books and papers (like papal bulls and Catholic tracts). He sets Protestant truth against Catholic falsehood, creating pro-Protestant propaganda in his allegorical treatment of holiness. The frogs echo the image of the deceiving spirits in the Biblical book of Revelation, further identifying the evil of heresy with the Catholic Church, a favorite scapegoat for the Protestant interpreters of Revelation during Spenser's time.

Gruesome physical descriptions: sensuality can be repulsive!

Vomiting books and papers: Catholic canon.

Extended simile: the Nile [21] – Biblical landscape, but an extended simile as an Epic.

Her children cannot hurt him: Error is easier to defeat than appeared! Once you have found the true religion, Erroneous words can’t sway you.

Extended simile: Shepherd and gnats – pastoral.

The children eat her: Error is contradictory, self-destructive – revealing the hypocrisies of Catholicism will be its undoing...

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27
His Ladie seeing all that chaunst, from farre
Approcht in hast to greet his victorie,
And said, Faire knight, borne under happy starre,°
Who see your vanquisht foes before you lye:
Well worthie be you of that Armorie,°
Wherin ye have great glory wonne this day,
And proov'd your strength on a strong enimie,
Your first adventure: many such I pray,
And henceforth ever wish that like succeed it may.°

28
Then mounted he upon his Steede againe,
And with the Lady backward sought to wend;
That path he kept which beaten was most plaine,
Ne ever would to any by-way bend,
But still did follow one unto the end,
The which at last out of the wood them brought.
So forward on his way (with God to frend)°
He passed forth, and new adventure sought;
Long way he travelled, before he heard of ought.

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FAERIE QUEENE
Book 1: Canto 1: Stanzas 27-28: Una congratulates him and they go on their way.

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29
At length they chaunst to meet upon the way
An aged Sire,° in long blacke weedes yclad,
His feete all bare, his beard all hoarie gray
And by his belt his booke he hanging had;
Sober he seemde, and very sagely sad,
And to the ground his eyes were lowly bent,
Simple in shew, and voyde of malice bad,
And all the way he prayed, as he went,
And often knockt his brest, as one that did repent.

30
He faire the knight saluted, louting low,
Who faire him quited, as that courteous was:
And after asked him, if he did know
Of straunge adventures, which abroad did pas.
Ah my deare Sonne (quoth he) how should, alas,
Silly old man, that lives in hidden cell,
Bidding his beades all day for his trespas,
Tydings of warre and worldly trouble tell?
With holy father sits not with such things to mell.

31
But if of daunger which hereby doth dwell,
And homebred evil ye desire to heare,
Of a straunge man I can you tidings tell,
That wasteth all this countrey farre and neare.
Of such (said he) I chiefly do inquere,
And shall you well reward to shew the place,
In which that wicked wight his dayes doth weare:
For to all knighthood it is foule disgrace,
That such a cursed creature lives so long a space.

32
Far hence (quoth he) in wastfull wildernesse
His dwelling is, by which no living wight
May ever passe, but thorough great distresse.
Now (sayd the Lady) draweth toward night,
And well I wote, that of your later fight
Ye all forwearied be: for what so strong,
But wanting rest will also want of might?
The Sunne that measures heaven all day long,
At night doth baite his steedes the Ocean waves emong.

33
Then with the Sunne take Sir, your timely rest,
And with new day new worke at once begin:
Untroubled night they say gives counsell best.
Right well Sir knight ye have advised bin,
(Quoth then that aged man;) the way to win
Is wisely to advise: now day is spent;
Therefore with me ye may take up your In°
For this same night. The knight was well content:
So with that godly father to his home they went.

34
A little lowly Hermitage it was,
Downe in a dale, hard by a forests side,
Far from resort of people, that did pas
In travell to and froe: a little wyde°
There was an holy Chappell edifyde,
Wherein the Hermite dewly wont to say
His holy things each morne and eventyde:
Thereby a Christall streame did gently play,
Which from a sacred fountaine welled forth alway.

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FAERIE QUEENE
Book 1: Canto 1: Stanzas 29-34:They meet the old sire (Archimago) who lures them to his home.

Deceptive appearances: looks like a simple hermit, house looks like a hermitage – appearance of faith and simplicity – Catholicism is appearance without substance.

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35
Arrived there, the little house they fill,
Ne looke for entertainement, where none was:
Rest is their feast, and all things at their will:
The noblest mind the best contentment has.
With faire discourse the evening so they pas:
For that old man of pleasing wordes had store,
And well could file his tongue as smooth as glas,
He told of Saintes and Popes, and evermore
He strowd an Ave-Mary° after and before.

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FAERIE QUEENE
Book 1: Canto 1: Stanza 35: At Archimago’s house, they talk.

Archimago clearly associated with Catholicism: talks of Popes and Saints (Saintes), says Ave Maria (Ave-Mary) often!

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36
The drouping Night thus creepeth on them fast,
And the sad humour° loading their eye liddes,
As messenger of Morpheus° on them cast
Sweet slombring deaw, the which to sleepe them biddes.
Unto their lodgings then his guestes he riddes:
Where when all drownd in deadly sleepe he findes,
He to this study goes, and there amiddes
His Magick bookes and artes° of sundry kindes,
He seekes out mighty charmes, to trouble sleepy mindes.

37
Then choosing out few words most horrible,
(Let none them read) thereof did verses frame,
With which and other spelles like terrible,
He bad awake blacke Plutoes griesly Dame,°
And cursed heaven and spake reprochfull shame
Of highest God, the Lord of life and light;
A bold bad man, that dar'd to call by name
Great Gorgon,° Prince of darknesse and dead night,
At which Cocytus° quakes, and Styx is put to flight.

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FAERIE QUEENE
Book 1: Canto 1: Stanzas: 36-37: They go to bed, and Archimago goes to his magic books to summon his sprites.

Books – again, sense of an alternative canon that is satanic!

Classical gods (Pluto) are now bad: Archimago calling on the classical world. Catholicism=paganism.

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38
And forth he cald out of deepe darknesse dred
Legions of Sprights,° the which like little flyes
Fluttring about his ever damned hed,
Awaite whereto their service he applyes,
To aide his friends, or fray his enimies:
Of those he chose° out two, the falsest twoo,
And fittest for to forge true-seeming lyes;
The one of them he gave a message too,
The other by him selfe staide other worke to doo.

39
He making speedy way through spersed ayre,
And through the world of waters wide and deepe,
To Morpheus house doth hastily repaire.
Amid the bowels of the earth full steepe,
And low, where dawning day doth never peepe,
His dwelling is; there Tethys° his wet bed
Doth ever wash, and Cynthia° still doth steepe
In silver deaw his ever-drouping hed,
Whiles sad Night over him her mantle black doth spred.

40
Whose double gates° he findeth locked fast,
The one faire fram'd of burnisht Yvory,
The other all with silver overcast;
And wakeful dogges before them farre do lye,
Watching to banish Care their enimy,
Who oft is wont to trouble gentle Sleepe.
By them the Sprite doth passe in quietly,
And unto Morpheus comes, whom drowned deepe
In drowsie fit he findes: of nothing he takes keepe.

41
And more, to lulle him in his slumber soft,°
A trickling streame from high rock tumbling downe,
And ever-drizling raine upon the loft,
Mixt with a murmuring winde, much like the sowne
Of swarming Bees, did cast him in a swowne:
No other noyse, nor peoples troublous cryes,
As still are wont t'annoy the walled towne,
Might there be heard: but carelesse Quiet lyes,
Wrapt in eternall silence farre from enemyes.

42
The messenger approching to him spake,
But his wast wordes returnd to him in vaine:
So sound he slept, that nought mought him awake.
Then rudely he him thrust, and pusht with paine
Whereat he gan to stretch: but he againe
Shooke him so hard, that forced him to speake.
As one then in a dreame, whose dryer braine°
Is tost with troubled sights and fancies weake,
He mumbled soft, but would not all° his silence breake.

43
The Sprite then gan more boldly him to wake,
And threatned unto him the dreaded name
Of Hecate°: whereat he gan to quake,
And lifting up his lumpish head, with blame
Halfe angry asked him, for what he came.
Hither (quoth he) me Archimago sent,
He that the stubborne Sprites can wisely tame,
He bids thee to him send for his intent
A fit false dreame, that can delude the sleepers sent.°

44
The God obayde, and, calling forth straightway
A diverse dreame out of his prison darke,
Delivered it to him, and downe did lay
His heavie head, devoide of carefull carke,
Whose sences all were straight benumbed and starke.
He backe returning by the Yvorie dore,
Remounted up as light as chearefull Larke,
And on his litle winges the dreame he bore
In hast unto his Lord, where he him left afore.

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FAERIE QUEENE
Book 1: Canto 1: Stanzas: 38-44: The sprite sent to the Underworld to retrieve a dream.

An anabasis – EPIC

Silver and Ivory gates – similar to Virgil (Aeneid 6)/Homer (Odyssey 19): an epic hell, not a Christian one??

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45
Who all this while with charmes and hidden artes,
Had made a Lady of that other Spright,
And fram'd of liquid ayre her tender parte
So lively, and so like in all mens sight,
That weaker sence it could have ravisht quight:
The maker selfe, for all his wondrous witt,
Was nigh beguiled with so goodly sight:
Her all in white he clad, and over it
Cast a black stole, most like to seeme° for Una fit.

Back 14

FAERIE QUEENE
Book 1: Canto 1: Stanza 45: Archimago turns the other sprite into a false Una.

It is possible to create things that appear to be the true faith.

Front 15

46
Now when that ydle dreame was to him brought,
Unto that Elfin knight he bad him fly,
Where he slept soundly void of evill thought,
And with false shewes abuse his fantasy,
In sort as he him schooled privily:
And that new creature, borne without her dew,°
Full of the makers guile, with usage sly
He taught to imitate that Lady trew,
Whose semblance she did carrie under feigned hew.

47
Thus well instructed, to their worke they hast,
And coming where the knight in slomber lay,
The one upon his hardy head him plast
And made him dreame of loves and lustfull play,
That nigh his manly hart did melt away,
Bathed in wanton blis and wicked joy:
Then seemed him his Lady by him lay,
And to him playnd, how that false winged boy,
Her chast hart had subdewd, to learne Dame Pleasures toy.

48
And she herselfe of beautie soveraigne Queene,
Fayre Venus° seemde unto his bed to bring
Her, whom he waking evermore did weene,
To bee the chastest flowre, that ay did spring
On earthly braunch, the daughter of a king,
Now a loose Leman to vile service bound:
And eke the Graces° seemed all to sing,
Hymen Iö Hymen° dauncing all around,
Whilst freshest Flora° her with Yvie girlond crownd.

49
In this great passion of unwonted lust,
Or wonted feare of doing ought amis,
He started up, as seeming to mistrust
Some secret ill, or hidden foe of his:
Lo there before his face his Lady is,
Under blake stole hyding her bayted hooke;
And as halfe blushing offred him to kis,
With gentle blandishment and lovely looke,
Most like that virgin true, which for her knight him took.

50
All cleane dismayd to see so uncouth sight,
And half enraged at her shamelesse guise,
He thought have slaine her in his fierce despight:
But hasty heat tempring with suffrance wise,
He stayde his hand, and gan himselfe advise
To prove his sense,° and tempt her faigned truth.
Wringing her hands in womans pitteous wise,
Tho can she weepe,° to stirre up gentle ruth,
Both for her noble bloud, and for her tender youth.

51
And said, Ah Sir, my liege Lord and my love,
Shall I accuse the hidden cruell fate,
And mightie causes wrought in heaven above,
Or the blind God,° that doth me thus amate,
For hoped love to winne me certaine hate?
Yet thus perforce he bids me do, or die.
Die is my dew; yet rew my wretched state
You, whom my hard avenging destinie
Hath made judge of my life or death indifferently.

52
Your owne deare sake forst me at first to leave
My Fathers kingdome—There she stopt with teares;
Her swollen hart her speech seemd to bereave,
And then againe begun; My weaker yeares
Captiv'd to fortune and frayle worldly feares,
Fly to your fayth for succour and sure ayde:
Let me not dye in languor and long teares.
Why Dame (quoth he) what hath ye thus dismayd?
What frayes ye, that were wont to comfort me affrayd?

53
Love of your selfe, she saide, and deare constraint,
Lets me not sleepe, but wast the wearie night
In secret anguish and unpittied plaint,
Whiles you in carelesse sleepe are drowned quight.
Her doubtfull words made that redoubted knight
Suspect her truth: yet since no' untruth he knew,
Her fawning love with foule disdainefull spight
He would not shend; but said, Deare dame I rew,
That for my sake unknowne such griefe unto you grew.

54
Assure your selfe, it fell not all to ground;°
For all so deare as life is to my hart,
I deeme your love, and hold me to you bound:
Ne let vaine feares procure your needlesse smart,
Where cause is none, but to your rest depart.
Not all content, yet seemd she to appease
Her mournefull plaintes, beguiled of her art,
And fed with words that could not chuse but please,
So slyding softly forth, she turned as to her ease.

55
Long after lay he musing at her mood,
Much griev'd to thinke that gentle Dame so light,
For whose defence he was to shed his blood.
At last, dull wearinesse of former fight
Having yrockt asleepe his irkesome spright,
That troublous dreame gan freshly tosse his braine,
With bowres, and beds, and Ladies deare delight:
But when he saw his labour all was vaine,
With that misformed spright he backe returnd againe.

Back 15

FAERIE QUEENE
Book 1: Canto 1: Stanzas: 46-55: The lustful dream of Una. The false Una then comes to his bed to seduce him.

He should recognize that this is not her, but he doesn’t: still learning faith.

Front 16

1
By this the Northerne wagoner° had set
His sevenfold teme° behind the stedfast starre,°
That was in Ocean waves yet never wet,
But firme is fixt, and sendeth light from farre
To all that in the wide deepe wandring arre:
And chearefull Chaunticlere° with his note shrill
Had warned once, that Phœbus fiery carre°
In hast was climbing up the Easterne hill,
Full envious that night so long his roome did fill.
 
2
When those accursed messengers of hell,
That feigning dreame, and that faire-forged Spright°
Came to their wicked maister, and gan tell
Their bootelesse paines, and ill succeeding night:
Who all in rage to see his skilfull might
Deluded so, gan threaten hellish paine
And sad Proserpines wrath, them to affright.
But when he saw his threatning was but vaine,
He cast about, and searcht his baleful bookes againe.

3 
Eftsoones he tooke that miscreated faire,
And that false other Spright, on whom he spred
A seeming body of the subtile aire,
Like a young Squire, in loves and lustybed
His wanton dayes that ever loosely led,
Without regard of armes and dreaded fight:
Those two he tooke, and in a secret bed,
Coverd with darknesse and misdeeming night,
Them both together laid, to joy in vaine delight.

Back 16

FAERIE QUEENE
Book 1: Canto 2: Stanzas: 1-3
just before dawn, the sprites report the failed seduction to Archimago, so he turns one into a Squire and puts him in bed with the false Una.
-Epic description of morning coming: night and day personified, deified.
[1] Dawn approaches.
[2 - 3] Archimago, informed of the failure of his first plan, makes a new plan.

Front 17

4
Forthwith he runnes with feigned faithfull hast
Unto his guest, who after troublous sights
And dreames, gan now to take more sound repast,
Whom suddenly he wakes with fearfull frights,
As one aghast with feends or damned sprights,
And to him cals, Rise, rise, unhappy Swaine
That here wex old in sleepe, whiles wicked wights
Have knit themselves in Venus shameful chaine,
Come see where your false Lady doth her honour staine.
 
5
All in amaze he suddenly upstart
With sword in hand, and with the old man went
Who soone him brought into a secret part
Where that false couple were full closely ment
In wanton lust and leud embracement:
Which when he saw, he burnt with gealous fire,
The eye of reason was with rage yblent,
And would have slaine them in his furious ire,
But hardly was restreined of that aged sire.
 
6
Returning to his bed in torment great,
And bitter anguish of his guiltie sight,
He could not rest, but did his stout heart eat,
And wast his inward gall with deepe despight,
Yrkesome of life, and too long lingring night.
At last faire Hesperus° in highest skie
Had spent his lampe and brought forth dawning light,
Then up he rose, and clad him hastily;
The Dwarfe him brought his steed: so both away do fly.
 
7
Now when the rosy-fingred Morning° faire,
Weary of aged Tithones° saffron bed,
Had spread her purple robe through deawy aire,
And the high hils Titan° discovered,
The royall virgin shooke off drowsy-hed;
And rising forth out of her baser bowre,
Lookt for her knight, who far away was fled,
And for her Dwarfe, that wont to wait each houre:
Then gan she waile and weepe, to see that woefull stowre.

Back 17

FAERIE QUEENE
Book 1: Canto 2: Stanzas: 4-7: Archimago shows RC Una and the Squire; he is enraged, and abandons Una at Dawn.
RC should know that this is false!
Abandoning the true faith out of emotion.
Dawn: “rosy-fingered” – epic.
[4 - 5] Archimago brings the knight to see the two spirits, conjured to look like Una and a Squire, having sex.

[6] The dwarf the fly from the place.

[7]: Una wakes, finds herself abandoned

Front 18

8
And after him she rode with so much speede
As her slow beast could make; but all in vaine:
For him so far had borne his light-foot steede,
Pricked with wrath and fiery fierce disdaine,
That him to follow was but fruitlesse paine;
Yet she her weary limbes would never rest,
But every hill and dale, each wood and plaine,
Did search, sore grieved in her gentle brest,
He so ungently left her, whom she loved best.
 
9
But subtill Archimago, when his guests
He saw divided into double parts,
And Una wandring in woods and forrests,
Th' end of his drift, he praisd his divelish arts,
That had such might over true meaning harts:
Yet rests not so, but other meanes doth make,
How he may worke unto her further smarts:
For her he hated as the hissing snake,
And in her many troubles did most pleasure take.

Back 18

FAERIE QUEENE
Book 1: Canto 2: Stanzas 8-9
Una sets off in pursuit of the redcross knight & the dwarf. The pageant fallen apart: Una cannot keep up, riding on her lowly ass. She does not catch up but gets lost which gives Archimago great pleasure. [9]

Front 19

10
He then devisde himselfe how to disguise;
For by his mightie science he could take
As many formes and shapes in seeming wise,
As ever Proteus° to himselfe could make:
Sometime a fowle, sometime a fish in lake,
Now like a foxe, now like a dragon fell,
That of himselfe he ofte for feare would quake,
And oft would flie away. O who can tell
The hidden power of herbes° and might of Magicke spell?

11 
But now seemde best the person to put on
Of that good knight, his late beguiled guest:
In mighty armes he was yclad anon:
And silver shield, upon his coward brest
A bloudy crosse, and on his craven crest
A bounch of haires discolourd diversly:
Full jolly knight he seemde, and well addrest,
And when he sate upon his courser free,
Saint George himself ye would have deemed him to be.

Back 19

FAERIE QUEENE
Book 1: Canto 2: Stanzas 10-11 Archimago disguises himself as the Redcrosse knight

-deceptive appearance/disguise

Front 20

12
But he the knight, whose semblaunt he did beare,
The true Saint George, was wandred far away,
Still flying from his thoughts and gealous feare;
Will was his guide, and griefe led him astray.
At last him chaunst to meete upon the way
A faithless Sarazin° all arm'd to point,
In whose great shield was writ with letters gay
Sans foy: full large of limbe and every joint
He was, and cared not for God or man a point.
 
13
He had a faire companion° of his way,
A goodly Lady clad in scarlot red,
Purfled with gold and pearle of rich assay,
And like a Persian mitre on her hed
She wore, with crowns and owches garnished,
The which her lavish lovers to her gave;
Her wanton palfrey all was overspred
With tinsell trappings, woven like a wave,
Whose bridle rung with golden bels and bosses brave.
 
14
With faire disport and courting dalliaunce
She intertainde her lover all the way:
But when she saw the knight his speare advaunce,
She soone left off her mirth and wanton play,
And bade her knight addresse him to the fray:
His foe was nigh at hand. He prickt with pride
And hope to winne his Ladies heart that day,
Forth spurred fast: adowne his coursers side
The red bloud trickling staind the way, as he did ride.

Back 20

FAERIE QUEENE
Book 1: Canto 2: Stanzas 12-14 RC meets Sans foy and Duessa (she is not named until later)
[12] Sans foy=without faith, faithless
[13] Duessa described
Alternative pageant to that which opened I,i: a (muslim) knight who doesn’t care about god or others, a lady who instead of white virginal simplicity wears SCARLET and is bejewelled. He cuts the horse as he rides it – control completely forced
As soon as the man is without the true faith, he has to face amorality
RC revealed by the poet to be St. George, though no one has referred to him as such, and he doesn’t know yet

Front 21

15
The knight of the Redcrosse when him he spide,
Spurring so hote with rage dispiteous,
Gan fairely couch his speare, and towards ride:
Soone meete they both, both fell and furious,
That daunted with their forces hideous,
Their steeds do stagger, and amazed stand,
And eke themselves, too rudely rigorous,
Astonied with the stroke of their owne hand
Doe backe rebut, and each to other yeeldeth land.
 
16
As when two rams° stird with ambitious pride,
Fight for the rule of the rich fleeced flocke,
Their horned fronts so fierce on either side
Do meete, that with the terrour of the shocke
Astonied both, stand sencelesse as a blocke,
Forgetfull of the hanging victory:°
So stood these twaine, unmoved as a rocke,
Both staring fierce, and holding idely
The broken reliques° of their former cruelty.
 
17
The Sarazin sore daunted with the buffe
Snatcheth his sword, and fiercely to him flies;
Who well it wards, and quyteth cuff with cuff:
Each others equall puissaunce envies,°
And through their iron sides° with cruell spies
Does seeke to perce: repining courage yields
No foote to foe. The flashing fier flies
As from a forge out of their burning shields,
And streams of purple bloud new dies the verdant fields.

18 
Curse on that Crosse (quoth then the Sarazin),
That keepes thy body from the bitter fit;°
Dead long ygoe I wote thou haddest bin,
Had not that charme from thee forwarned it:
But yet I warne thee now assured sitt,°
And hide thy head. Therewith upon his crest
With rigour so outrageous° he smitt,
That a large share° it hewd out of the rest,
And glauncing down his shield from blame him fairly blest.°
 
19
Who thereat wondrous wroth, the sleeping spark
Of native vertue gan eftsoones revive,
And at his haughtie helmet making mark,
So hugely stroke, that it the steele did rive,
And cleft his head. He tumbling downe alive,
With bloudy mouth his mother earth did kis.
Greeting his grave: his grudging° ghost did strive
With the fraile flesh; at last it flitted is,
Whither the soules do fly of men that live amis.

Back 21

FAERIE QUEENE
Book 1: Canto 2: Stanzas 15-19 Sansfoy battles RC, RC victorious.
The cross blamed for the victory: even if he has temporarily lost his guidance, he still has the strength of faith

Front 22

20 
The Lady when she saw her champion fall,
Like the old ruines of a broken towre,
Staid not to waile his woefull funerall,
But from him fled away with all her powre;
Who after her as hastily gan scowre,
Bidding the Dwarfe with him to bring away
The Sarazins shield, signe of the conqueroure.
Her soone he overtooke, and bad to stay,
For present cause was none of dread her to dismay.

21 
She turning backe with ruefull countenaunce,
Cride, Mercy mercy Sir vouchsafe to show
On silly Dame, subject to hard mischaunce,
And to your mighty will. Her humblesse low
In so ritch weedes and seeming glorious show,
Did much emmove his stout heroicke heart,
And said, Deare dame, your suddin overthrow
Much rueth me; but now put feare apart,
And tell, both who ye be, and who that tooke your part.
 
22
Melting in teares, then gan she thus lament;
The wretched woman, whom unhappy howre
Hath now made thrall to your commandement,
Before that angry heavens list to lowre,
And fortune false betraide me to your powre,
Was, (O what now availeth that I was!)
Borne the sole daughter of an Emperour,°
He that the wide West under his rule has,
And high hath set his throne, where Tiberis doth pas.

23 
He in the first flowre of my freshest age,
Betrothed me unto the onely haire°
Of a most mighty king, most rich and sage;
Was never Prince so faithfull and so faire,
Was never Prince so meeke and debonaire;
But ere my hoped day of spousall shone,
My dearest Lord fell from high honours staire
Into the hands of his accursed fone,
And cruelly was slaine, that shall I ever mone.
 
24
"His blessed body spoild of lively breath,
Was afterward, I know not how, convaid
And fro me hid: of whose most innocent death
When tidings came to me, unhappy maid,
O how great sorrow my sad soule assaid.
Then forth I went his woefull corse to find,
And many yeares throughout the world I straid,
A virgin widow, whose deepe wounded mind
With love long time did languish as the striken hind.

25
"At last it chaunced this proud Sarazin
To meete me wandring, who perforce me led
With him away, but yet could never win
The Fort, that Ladies hold in soveraigne dread;
There lies he now with foule dishonour dead,
Who whiles he livde, was called proud Sans foy,
The eldest of three brethren, all three bred
Of one bad sire, whose youngest is Sans joy;
And twixt them both was born the bloudy bold Sansloy.


26 
"In this sad plight, friendlesse, unfortunate,
Now miserable I Fidessa dwell,
Craving of you in pitty of my state,
To do none ill, if please ye not do well."
He in great passion all this while did dwell,
More busying his quicke eyes, her face to view,
Then his dull eares, to heare what she did tell;
And said, "Faire Lady hart of flint would rew
The undeserved woes and sorrowes which ye shew.
 
27
"Henceforth in safe assuraunce may ye rest,
Having both found a new friend you to aid,
And lost an old foe that did you molest:
Better new friend then an old foe is said."
With chaunge of cheare the seeming simple maid
Let fall her eyen, as shamefast to the earth,
And yeelding soft, in that she nought gain-said,
So forth they rode, he feining seemely merth,
And she coy lookes: so dainty they say maketh derth.°

Back 22

FAERIE QUEENE
Book 1: Canto 2: Stanzas 20-27 Duessa joins RC; Duessa flees, is overtaken by redcross knight, who is taken in by her story,
and they travel together.
Her ex-Prince: Jesus! She is a church that has lost Jesus
RC has been fooled by appearance and taken up Catholicism
Duessa reveals herself as Fidessa [26]
Sans loy=lawless

Front 23

35 
In prime of youthly yeares, when corage hot
The fire of love and joy of chevalree
First kindled in my brest, it was my lot
To love this gentle Lady, whom ye see,
Now not a Lady, but a seeming tree;
With whom as once I rode accompanyde,
Me chaunced of a knight encountred bee,
That had a like faire Lady by his syde,
Like a faire Lady, but did fowle Duessa hyde.

36 
Whose forged beauty he did take in hand,
All other Dames to have exceeded farre;
I in defence of mine did likewise stand,
Mine, that did then shine as the Morning starre.
So both to battell fierce arraunged arre,
In which his harder fortune was to fall
Under my speare: such is the dye of warre:
His Lady left as a prise martiall,
Did yield her comely person to be at my call.
 
37
"So doubly lov'd of Ladies unlike faire,
Th' one seeming such, the other such indeede,
One day in doubt I cast for to compare,
Whether in beauties glorie did exceede;
A Rosy girlond was the victors meede:
Both seemde to win, and both seemde won to bee,
So hard the discord was to be agreede.
Fraelissa was as faire, as faire mote bee,
And ever false Duessa seemde as faire as shee.
 
38
"The wicked witch now seeing all this while
The doubtfull ballaunce equally to sway,
What not by right, she cast to win by guile,
And by her hellish science raisd streightway
A foggy mist, that overcast the day,
And a dull blast, that breathing on her face,
Dimmed her former beauties shining ray,
And with foule ugly forme did her disgrace:
Then was she faire alone, when none was faire in place.°

39 
"Then cride she out, Fye, fye, deformed wight,
Whose borrowed beautie now appeareth plaine
To have before bewitched all mens sight;
O leave her soone, or let her soone be slaine.
Her loathly visage viewing with disdaine,
Eftsoones I thought her such, as she me told,
And would have kild her; but with faigned paine
The false witch did my wrathfull hand with-hold;
So left her, where she now is turnd to treen mould.°

40 
"Then forth I tooke Duessa for my Dame,
And in the witch unweeting joyd long time,
Ne ever wist but that she was the same,°
Till on a day (that day is every Prime,
When Witches wont do penance for their crime)
I chaunst to see her in her proper hew,°
Bathing her selfe in origane and thyme:
A filthy foule old woman I did vew,
That ever to have toucht her I did deadly rew.

41
"Her neather parts misshapen, monstruous,
Were hidd in water, that I could not see.
But they did seeme more foule and hideous,
Then womans shape man would beleeve to bee.
Thensforth from her most beastly companie
I gan refraine, in minde to slip away,
Soone as appeard safe opportunitie:
For danger great, if not assur'd decay,
I saw before mine eyes, if I were knowne to stray.

42
"The divelish hag by chaunges of my cheare°
Perceiv'd my thought, and drownd in sleepie night,°
With wicked herbs and ointments did besmeare
My body all, through charms and magicke might,
That all my senses were bereaved quight:
Then brought she me into this desert waste,
And by my wretched lovers side me pight,
Where now enclosd in wooden wals full faste,
Banisht from living wights, our wearie dayes we waste."

43 
"But how long time, said then the Elfin knight,
Are you in this misformed house to dwell?
We may not change," quoth he, "this evil plight,
Till we be bathed in a living well;°
That is the terme prescribed by the spell."
"O how," said he, "mote I that well out find,
That may restore you to your wonted well?"
"Time and suffised fates to former kynd
Shall us restore, none else from hence may us unbynd."

Back 23

FAERIE QUEENE
Book 1: Canto 2: Stanzas 35-43
continues scene of Duessa and RC sitting under tree

Front 24

44
The false Duessa, now Fidessa hight,
Heard how in vaine Fradubio did lament,
And knew well all was true. But the good knight
Full of sad feare and ghastly dreriment,
When all this speech the living tree had spent,
The bleeding bough did thrust into the ground,
That from the bloud he might be innocent,
And with fresh clay did close the wooden wound:
Then turning to his Lady, dead with feare her found.

45 
Her seeming dead he found with feigned feare,
As all unweeting of that well she knew,
And paynd himselfe with busie care to reare
Her out of carelesse swowne. Her eyelids blew
And dimmed sight with pale and deadly hew
At last she up gan lift: with trembling cheare
Her up he tooke, too simple and too trew,
And oft her kist. At length all passed feare,°
He set her on her steede, and forward forth did beare.

Back 24

FAERIE QUEENE
Book 1: Canto 2: Stanzas 44-45
Duessa, hearing this (that RC is Fradubio), pretends to faint
Spenser lets us know that is her true identity. Dramatic irony: although RC has effectively been warned, he doesn’t realize, but we do

Front 25

1
Young knight whatever that dost armes professe,
And through long labours huntest after fame,
Beware of fraud, beware of ficklenesse,
In choice, and change of thy deare loved Dame,
Least thou of her beleeve too lightly blame,
And rash misweening doe thy hart remove:
For unto knight there is no greater shame,
Then lightnesse and inconstancie in love;
That doth this Redcrosse knights ensample plainly prove.

Back 25

FAERIE QUEENE
Book 1: Canto 4: Stanza 1
Narratorial advice to the reader / knight. a warning that inconstancy in love is the greatest shame.
Addressing a “young knight” – we are meant to identify with these knights; Christians.

Front 26

2
Who after that he had faire Una lorne,
Through light misdeeming of her loialtie,
And false Duessa in her sted had borne,
Called Fidess', and so supposd to bee;
Long with her traveild, till at last they see
A goodly building, bravely garnished,
The house of mightie Prince it seemd to bee:
And towards it a broad high way that led,
All bare through peoples feet, which thither traveiled.

3
Great troupes of people traveild thitherward
Both day and night, of each degree and place,°
But few returned, having scaped hard,°
With balefull beggerie, or foule disgrace;
Which ever after in most wretched case,
Like loathsome lazars,° by the hedges lay.
Thither Duessa bad him bend his pace:
For she is wearie of the toilesome way,
And also nigh consumed is the lingring day.

Back 26

FAERIE QUEENE
Book 1: Canto 4: Stanzas 2-3
Redcross knight and Duessa, travelling together, are led by Duessa to a palace---the House of Pride [from stanzas 4-5] where Duessa suggests they stop to rest.
Bricks without mortar, walls high but thin, old building but “painted cunningly”: a weak foundation, deceptive, a falsehood.

Front 27

4 
A stately Pallace built of squared bricke,
Which cunningly was without morter laid,
Whose wals were high, but nothing strong, nor thick,
And golden foile all over them displaid,
That purest skye with brightnesse they dismaid:
High lifted up were many loftie towres,
And goodly galleries farre over laid,
Full of faire windowes and delightful bowres;
And on the top a Diall told the timely howres.

5 
It was a goodly heape for to behould,
And spake the praises of the workmans wit;
But full great pittie, that so faire a mould
Did on so weake foundation ever sit:
For on a sandie hill, that still did flit
And fall away, it mounted was full hie,
That every breath of heaven shaked it:
And all the hinder parts, that few could spie,
Were ruinous and old, but painted cunningly

Back 27

FAERIE QUEENE
Book 1: Canto 4: Stanzas 4-5
The palace of pride described

Front 28

6 
Arrived there, they passed in forth right;
For still to all the gates stood open wide:
Yet charge of them was to a Porter hight
Cald Malvenù,° who entrance none denide:
Thence to the hall, which was on every side
With rich array and costly arras dight:
Infinite sorts of people did abide
There waiting long, to win the wished sight
Of her that was the Lady of that Pallace bright.
 
7
By them they passe, all gazing on them round,
And to the Presence mount; whose glorious vew
Their frayle amazed senses did confound:
In living Princes court none ever knew
Such endlesse richesse, and so sumptuous shew;
Ne Persia selfe, the nourse of pompous pride
Like ever saw. And there a noble crew
Of Lordes and Ladies stood on every side,
Which with their presence faire the place much beautifide.
 
8
High above all a cloth of State was spred,
And a rich throne, as bright as sunny day,
On which there sate most brave embellished
With royall robes and gorgeous array,
A mayden Queene, that shone as Titans ray,
In glistring gold, and peerelesse pretious stone:
Yet her bright blazing beautie did assay
To dim the brightnesse of her glorious throne,
As envying her selfe, that too exceeding shone.

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FAERIE QUEENE
Book 1: Canto 4: Stanzas 6-8
[6] Redcrosse knight and Duessa enter
Thee porter lets all in: pride an easy temptation;
Maluenu: evil welcome.
Porters: romance tradition, let you know what the court will be like
[7-8] more description of the palace

Front 29

9 
Exceeding shone, like Phoebus fairest childe,°
That did presume his fathers firie wayne,
And flaming mouthes of steedes unwonted wilde
Through highest heaven with weaker hand to rayne;
Proud of such glory and advancement vaine,
While flashing beames do daze his feeble eyen,
He leaves the welkin way most beaten plaine,
And rapt with whirling wheeles, inflames the skyen,
With fire not made to burne, but fairely for to shyne.

10 
So proud she shyned in her Princely state,
Looking to heaven; for earth she did disdayne:
And sitting high; for lowly she did hate:
Lo underneath her scornefull feete was layne
A dreadfull Dragon° with an hideous trayne,
And in her hand she held a mirrhour bright,
Wherein her face she often vewed fayne,
And in her selfe-lov'd semblance tooke delight;
For she was wondrous faire, as any living wight.
 
11
Of griesly Pluto she the daughter was,
And sad Proserpina the Queene of hell;
Yet did she thinke her pearlesse worth to pas
That parentage,° with pride so did she swell;
And thundring Jove, that high in heaven doth dwell,
And wield the world, she claymed for her syre,
Or if that any else did Jove excell:
For to the highest she did still aspyre,
Or if ought higher were then that, did it desyre.
 
12
And proud Lucifera men did her call,
That made her selfe a Queene, and crownd to be,
Yet rightfull kingdome she had none at all,
Ne heritage of native soveraintie,
But did usurpe with wrong and tyrannie
Upon the scepter, which she now did hold:
Ne ruld her Realmes with lawes, but pollicie,
And strong advizement of six wisards old,°
That with their counsels bad her kingdome did uphold.

13
Soone as the Elfin knight in presence came,
And false Duessa seeming Lady faire,
A gentle Husher, Vanitie by name
Made rowme, and passage for them did prepaire:
So goodly brought them to the lowest staire
Of her high throne, where they on humble knee
Making obeyssance, did the cause declare,
Why they were come, her royall state to see,
To prove the wide report of her great Majestee.

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FAERIE QUEENE
Book 1: Canto 4: Stanzas 9-12
Lucifera (queen of the palace of pride) described; parents are king and queen and hell, an infernal name also. Made herself queen

I.e. self-appointment- pride -and at Satan's command
Brought before the throne by vanity (i.e. vanity leads the way to pride, and self-appointment, and hell, and bad things, you know)

[13] Redcross knight and Duessa presented to Lucifera.

Front 30

14 
With loftie eyes, halfe loth to looke so low,
She thanked them in her disdainefull wise;
Ne other grace vouchsafed them to show
Of Princesse worthy, scarse them bad arise.
Her Lordes and Ladies all this while devise
Themselves to setten forth to straungers sight:
Some frounce their curled haire in courtly guise,
Some prancke their ruffes, and others trimly dight
Their gay attire: each others greater pride does spight.

15 
Goodly they all that knight do entertaine,
Right glad with him to have increast their crew:
But to Duess' each one himselfe did paine
All kindnesse and faire courtesie to shew;
For in that court whylome her well they knew:
Yet the stout Faerie mongst the middest crowd
Thought all their glorie vaine in knightly vew,
And that great Princesse too exceeding prowd,
That to strange knight no better countenance allo

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FAERIE QUEENE
Book 1: Canto 4: Stanzas 14-15
Lucifer disdains them (Duessa and the Redcrosse Knight), but everyone else vies for their attention

Front 31

37
So forth they marchen in this goodly sort,
To take the solace of the open aire,
And in fresh flowring fields themselves to sport;
Emongst the rest rode that false Lady faire,
The foule Duessa, next unto the chaire
Of proud Lucifera, as one of the traine:
But that good knight would not so nigh repaire,
Him selfe estraunging from their joyaunce vaine,
Whose fellowship seemd far unfit for warlike swaine.

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FAERIE QUEENE
Book 1: Canto 4: Stanza 37
Duessa, Satan, and the Redcrosse knight return to the palace and they return to find Sans joy newly arrived

Front 32

38 
So having solaced themselves a space
With pleasaunce° of the breathing fields yfed,
They backe retourned to the Princely Place;
Whereas an errant knight in armes ycled,
And heathnish shield, wherein with letters red
Was writ Sans joy, they new arrived find:
Enflam'd with fury and fiers hardy-hed
He seemd in hart to harbour thoughts unkind,
And nourish bloudy vengeaunce in his bitter mind.

 39
Who when the shamed shield of slaine Sansfoy
He spide with that same Faery champions page,
Bewraying him, that did of late destroy
His eldest brother, burning all with rage
He to him leapt, and that same envious gage
Of victors glory from him snatcht away:
But th' Elfin knight, which ought that warlike wage
Disdaind to loose the meed he wonne in fray,
And him rencountring fierce, reskewd the noble pray.

40 
Therewith they gan to hurtlen greedily,
Redoubted battaile ready to darrayne,
And clash their shields, and shake their swords on hy,
That with their sturre they troubled all the traine;
Till that great Queene upon eternall paine
Of high displeasure that ensewen might,
Commaunded them their fury to refraine,
And if that either to that shield had right,
In equall lists they should the morrow next it fight.

41 
Ah dearest Dame, (quoth then the Paynim bold,)
Pardon the error of enraged wight,
Whom great griefe made forget the raines to hold
Of reasons rule, to see this recreant knight,
No knight, but treachour full of false despight
And shamefull treason, who through guile hath slayn
The prowest knight that ever field did fight,
Even stout Sansfoy (O who can then refrayn?)
Whose shield he beares renverst, the more to heape disdayn.

42 
And to augment the glorie of his guile,
His dearest love, the faire Fidessa, loe
Is there possessed of the traytour vile,
Who reapes the harvest sowen by his foe,
Sowen in bloudy field, and bought with woe:
That brothers hand shall dearely well requight,
So be, O Queene, you equall favour showe.
Him litle answerd th' angry Elfin knight;
He never meant with words, but swords to plead his right.

 43
But threw his gauntlet as a sacred pledge,
His cause in combat the next day to try:
So been they parted both, with harts on edge
To be aveng'd each on his enimy.
That night they pas in joy and jollity,
Feasting and courting both in bowre and hall;
For Steward was excessive Gluttonie,
That of his plenty poured forth to all;
Which doen, the Chamberlain Slowth did to rest them call.

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FAERIE QUEENE
Book 1: Canto 4: Stanzas 38-43
Sansioy appears, wanting revenge on Redcrosse. He throws down the gauntlet and then agree to fight in the morning – they spend the night feasting and drinking.
Sans joy=without joy (without faith and law, there will be no true joy?)
He is characterized by emotional anguish
Sansfoy was characterized by his atheism
Sansloy by his rudeness
Sansjoy sees Sasnfoy's shield with redcross knight's page and a challenge ensues, to be fought the next day.